Cultivate Gratitude

One saddening fact that I heard during my training in North Carolina was that American missionaries (or Americans, in general) tend to be some of the most ungrateful people that nationals know.  This is unfathomable and disheartening to those from other countries, as they can easily see how MUCH Americans have for which to be grateful, especially as compared with people from almost anywhere else in the world.  We were challenged, therefore, to focus on cultivating hearts of gratitude, over the course of our time in missions training.  It was a true challenge, at times, but one that I want to continue to take up!  So, here are a few things that I'm grateful for today!

-- Amazing access to medical help, and the ability to afford it.  I am so thankful for the way that God has provided for me to have all of the medical attention that I have needed, and that, as I look over my past, I can see how He has ultimately been the one to heal my body.

-- I am so thankful for my loving family, who all live very close to me in Pittsburgh (at least, at this moment).  ;-)  It is a blessing to be able to see each of them multiple times a week, even though three of my siblings are now moved out of the house.

-- I am so so grateful for First Evangelical Free Church, and the dear relationships that I have had there, since I was two years old.  I am thankful that it is a place where the Gospel is clearly preached from the pulpit, as well as life-on-life.  My heart is full as I think of the dear saints who have weathered many storms there and chosen a path of humility, sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, patience, and love.  I am thankful for the precious friends who are no longer there, but have gone on to faithfully serve the Lord and His church elsewhere.

-- I could probably go on all day, talking about Mexico, Cedarville, the seminary, CIT (training), and all of the dear people that I have met at those places and the wonderful, godly men and women who have poured into my life so much more than I could ever in my wildest, most selfish dreams have hoped to deserve.  I am thankful for God's grace, and lavishing me with so many good gifts that I could never deserve.  I am thankful for Christ, because even if I had never been given any of these sweet gifts, so prized by the world ... because I have Christ, I have all.




Note:  I hope to do another gratitude post again before too long, but I needed to cut this one short for now, because I could literally be writing for days.  The cool thing is, that, although complaining and self-pity lead to more complaining and self-pity... the same is true for gratitude!  Once I begin to focus on all the good things that God has given me, it's hard to stop!  (And, unlike complaining, there's no reason TO stop!  Haha!)